jAmp 8100 vs JAM BUDDY II
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
jAmp 8100
This app digitally emulates a classic 90s solid-state guitar amplifier, offering authentic tones favored by metal bands. It functions as a standalone app or a plugin within DAWs, featuring a noise gate, compressor, and various effects.
- Marshall Valvestate 8100 emulation
- Standalone and AUv3 plugin support
- Noise gate and compressor
- Ibanez Tube Screamer emulation
- Impulse response (IR) loader
- MIDI controller support
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jAmp 8100 represents a digital emulation of the Marshall Valvestate 8100 amplifier, which stood out as one of the most impressive-sounding amplifiers of the 90s. Numerous metal bands showcased this amplifier in their albums, with particularly notable appearances in the works of bands such as Death, Prong, and Static-X. Features: - Standalone, or as a AUv3 plugin in GarageBand, Logic Pro, or other DAW. - Marshall Valvestate 8100 emulation - Noise gate - Compressor - Ibanez Tube Screamer emulation - Pre amp chorus - Five band post amp equalizer - Post amp stereo chorus - Impulse response (IR) loader - MIDI controller support with MIDI learn - Stereo effect - Integrated IRs by forward-audio.com and Valhallir.at The free version allows you to test jAmp 8100 completely, but every minute the amplifier will be silent for 3 seconds. To remove these limits there is a one time in-app purchase. You need an audio interface to connect your instrument to your mobile device. Known audio interface brands are for instance Focusrite or iRig. For iPad you might want to consider using a USB-C hub with power delivery to avoid draining your battery during your jam session, but this is optional. For iPhone you will need to use an adapter that can 1. connect via lightning port to your iPhone 2. connect to your phone charger with USB 3. connect to your audio interface with USB If you have a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 or similar you can use the lighting to USB 3 camera adapter for this which is easily available in the market. Your iPhone cannot deliver enough power on its own to feed the audio interface, so this adapter with a connection to your phone charger is necessary. If you don't have an audio interface, you can still use the AUv3 plugin in a DAW such as GarageBand or Logic Pro. Any (guitar) sound you have recorded can be fed through the jAmp 8100 audio unit to add solid state distortion or any of the other included effects.
JAM BUDDY II
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JAM BUDDY is a versatile 3-in-1 desktop smart amp, it adopts stereo design.40W, delivering fabulous tone and dynamic for both music playing and jamming.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: JAM BUDDY II at none against jAmp 8100's 1. JAM BUDDY II also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 14.0). jAmp 8100's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 12 months) and device support (4 vs 2). On price and ads there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. jAmp 8100 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. JAM BUDDY II asks for nothing beyond the download.
jAmp 8100 ships an update every 3 weeks, JAM BUDDY II every 12 months. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | jAmp 8100 | JAM BUDDY II |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (6 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 6 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 12 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 34 MB | 28 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Jan Maes | Changsha Melofty Audio Technology Co., Ltd. |
In-app purchases
jAmp 8100
- jAmp 8100 Activation$11.99
JAM BUDDY II
No in-app purchases
